Pocket case



Feb. 1l, 1930. c. MEssNER 1,746,489

4 POCKET CASE Filed Novfso. 1927 2 sheets-smet 1 Feb. 1l", 1930. c.MEssNER 1,746,489

' POCKET CASE I y Filed Nov. 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11,1930 UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE CHRISTIAN M-ESSNER, OF TROSSINGEN,GERMANY POCKET CASE Application led November 30, 192.7, Serial No.236,688, and in Germany August 18, 1925.

My invention relates to pocket cases, having two hinged halves, forinstance cigarette cases, match boXes and the like. lt is an object ofmy invention to provide a pocket case of the kind described which `uponbeing opened will present its contents in a conven isnt position forhandling.

To this end I provide means operatively connected with the halves of thepocket case by which upon opening the case, the. objects thereincontained are automatically moved forward and away from the body orshell in which they are stored, and, upon closing the case, areautomatically returned to their initial position in the body or shell. j

It hasalready been suggested to provide holders for the objects enclosedin pocket cases which are pivotally carried in thebody or shellof apocket case so as to be raised 2o therefrom, however these objects werenot moved forward, and it will be understood that it is more convenientfor the user to have the object presented in such manner as to projectbeyond. the edge of the pocket case.

In the drawings affixed to this speciiication and forming part thereoftwo forms of pocket` cases embodying my invention are illustrateddiagrammatically by way of example.

j In the drawings j Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate a case in which theholders orthe objects are controlled by a flexible part such yas a cordor the like.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a case in which the holder is underpositive control.

More particularly Fig. 1 is a plan view of the case in open condition,with one of its holders partly` broken away.

Fig. 2 is a part end elevationshowing the cord or the like by whichtheholder is controlled. i i

Figs. 3v and 4 are sections on the line III-III in Fig. 1, showing theholder in its initial and in its advanced position, re-

spectively. c

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the second type of case, with the holder partlybroken away, and the lid opened.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the case.

e Fig. 7 is a section on the lineVIIw-VII Vback of the correspondinghalf.

tratedindot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 and `2 are the two halves of acigarette case which are connected by a hinge 3 and are each providedwith a holder 5 which is adapted to slide longitudinally in its half,that is, in parallel to the axis of the hinge 3.

The holders 5, 5 are traysof substantially U-shaped cross section andprovided with the usual buckles 25 and resilient straps 26 for holdingthe cigarettes 4, and a shoulder formed by a cover plate 27 for themechanism and serving as a support for the cigarettes. 8, l2, and 9, `13are pins projecting from the flanges of the holders at various levelsand pitched some distance apart. The pins 8, 9 engage inways constitutedby parallel flanges 10, 10 extending along the longitudinal edges of thehalves and plates 11, Figs. 3 and 4,

. in Fig. 5, with the holder in the position illusu each of whichisprovided with a shoulder 24 at its upper end. The pins 12, 13 in theirinitial position are flush with the back of the corresponding halt andcooperate with cams 14, 14 each having Aa short gradient `and a longerparallel face as-shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Mechanism is provided for advancing the holders in parallel to the axisof the hinge 3 and it will be understood that in being thus advanced,the ends of the holders from which the cigarettes project, are raisedbeyond the upper edges 15, 16 of the corresponding halves by the cams14. Such mechanism comprises a cord, wire or the like 17, extendingacross` the hinge of the halves, threaded through holes in angesat thelower'edge of each half, and engaging at either end an angular lever 2Owhich is ulcrumed on a pin 18 in the corresponding half l, 2 andprovided with a pull-back spring 19 engaging the shorter arm of eachlever. 21 is a pin at the end of the longer arm and 22 is a slot inaplate 23 which projects from the shoulder ofV the cover plate 27intermediate the cover plate and the The length of the cord 17 is suchthat with the case closed the levers 2O are in the kposi-` tionillustrated in Fig. 1, their long arms eXf tending in parallel tothelower edges of the halves, in which position they are held vby ienpull-back springs 19. When the case is opened, the distance of thepoints where the cord 17 is attached to the levers 20 is increased sothat the cord 17 rocks the levers into the position shown indotted'lines in Fig. 1 in which they advance their holders toward theupper edges 15, 16 of the respective half. As appears from Figs. 3 and 4the pins 8, 9 move in parallel while the holders are being advanced andthe pins 12, 13 rise on the cams 14, 14 so that the holders are raisedbeyond the edges 15, 16 and, upon the halves being moved further apart,the pins 12, 13 slide on the parallel portions of the cams 14, and thepins 8, 9 slide in their Ways, pushing the cigarettes 4 across the edges15 and 16, as shown in Fig. 4, as far as permitted by the shoulders 24of the plates 11.

It will be understood that this movement of the holders While conservingthe advant e of pivotally carried holders-as the ho ders in being raisedby the cams 14, rock about the ins 8, 9-provides the further advantageoi) advancing theobjects beyond the case so that they are readily,handled without interference on the part of the case.

Referring now to Figs. to 7, these show psitive means for operating theholders 5.

the example illustrated, only one holder 5 is provided in the half 1,but obviously I am not limited to a single holder. Identical parts fhave been marked with the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 to 4. Inthis example, in order to reduce the height of the pocket case, thecover plate 27 has been dispensed with and the mechanism has beenarranged below the holder 5, a shoulder 33 being formedat the lower endof the holder by bending it into channel section as shown in Fig. 7. 28is a pin on the half 2, 29 is a projection on a lever 30 fulcrumed at 31in the other half 1,

32 is a tooth projecting from the opposite end of the lever 30 andadapted to engage the Vchanneled shoulder 33 ot' the holder 5, and 34 isa spring which tends to hold the lever 30 in the position illustrated inFig. 5, that is, adjacent the lower edge of the case.

It will be understood that when the case has been opened to a givenextent, the pin 28 engages the projection 29 on the lever 30 as shown inFig. 6 and While the lid 2 is moving into the position illustrated indot-and-dash lines in Fig. 6 the lever 30 advances the holder 5 towardthe upper edge 150i the half 1; An inclined face 35 is provided adjacentthe edge 15 so as to raise the end of the holder beyond the edge asshown in Fig. 7, while it is being advanced by the lever 30.

Pins 42 and 44 are provided vat opposite sides of the holder 5 andengaging, respectively, below a flange 43 at the outer edge of the half1 and in an inclined slot 45 in a vertical flange 46 dependin fromtheflange at the inner edge 'of the alf 1. These pins guide the holder onits upward movement and limit its movement With respect to the half 1.

It is not desirable that the rear face of the holder and the back of thehalf 1 should be in sliding contact throughout, as this would causeexcessive friction and therefore Crozes or depressions are formed in theholder at 47 and 48 which constitute projections on the rear of theholder on which the holder slides. The lower edge of the channel section33 ma also be adapted to slide on the back of the half 1.

I do not Wish to be limited to a case having Y a definite number ofholders nor to any material of which the case, or any of its parts, ismade, and in general I Wish it to be understood that I do not ydesire tobe limited to the exact details of construction shown and described forobvious modifications will occur to a pers-on skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A pocket case comprising hinged halves, a movable holder in one ofsaid halves, means for guiding said holder in a combined advancing androcking movement, a lever pivotally carried in said half and adapted toengage said holder, and means controlled by the relative displacement ofsaid halves so as to impart rotation to said lever and to move saidholder when said halves are turned on D their hinge so as to open saidcase.

2. A pocket case comprising hinged halves, a movable holder in one ofsaid halves, means for guiding said holder in a combined advancing androcking movement, a lever pivotally carried in said half and adapted toengage said holder, and a projection on the other half adapted to engagesaid lever so as to impart rotation to said lever and to advance saidholder when said halves are turned on the hinge so as to open said case.

3. A pocket case comprising hinged halves, a holder arranged in one ofsaid halves, means controlled by the relative displacement of saidhalves for advancing said holder,.and an inclined face on said halfadapted to be engaged by the edge of said holder so as to rock saidholder beyond the edge of said half.

4. A pocket case comprising hinged halves, a movable holder in one ofsaid halves, means for guiding said holder in a combined advancing androcking movement, a shoulder at one end of said holder, a leverpivotally carried in said half and adapted to engage said shoulder, andmeans on the other half adapted to impart rotation to said lever and tomove said holder when said halves are turned on their hinge so as toopen said case.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHRISTIAN MESSNER.

Yeo

